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“The jungle speaks to me because I have learned how to listen.” – Mowgli

Number of Times Seen – 1 (19 Oct 2017)

Brief Synopsis – A young boy raised in the jungles of India must try and adapt to civilized life when he meets up with a group of British soldiers stationed in the area.

My Take on it – I have never read the original book by Rudyard Kipling that this film is based on, but I assume that this version is a much more faithful adaptation than the two musical adaptations that we are all familiar with.

That being said, I kept waiting for the animals to start breaking out in song and dance and that slightly disappointed me when it didn’t happen.

The cast is quite interesting here because Sam Neill and John Cleese both are great here depsite having somewhat small parts.

Jason Scott Lee feels somewhat wrong for the role of Mowgli but still manages to get through it.

Cary Elwes is below average as the leader of the British Officers who act like Keystone Cops as they try to find fortune and glory in the jungles of India.

The story works well mainly due to the expert use of the animals to help raise the stakes and make things more thrilling and even more interesting to watch unfold.

It should be noted that this was one of the first roles for Lena Headley who I’m sure most of you know from Game of Thrones.

Bottom Line – Not as fun to watch without talking animals and songs, but the story still is impactful. Lee probably wasn’t the best choice for the role of the adult Mowgli, but still manages to keep things interesting. Probably much more faithful to the original story than the musical adaptations but still works on numerous levels. The interactions with the animals helps keep thing thrilling despite the keystone cop antics of the British soldiers led by Elwes. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – The film required the use of over 200 trained animals, including 50 Tigers. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy

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